THE MAKING OF A PLAY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 538, 14 October 1949, Page 17

THE MAKING OF A PLAY

HOSE who enjoyed reading Bernard Shaw’s "Rules for Play Producers," published last month in The Listener, are to have the opportunity of hearing more about the same subject from six talks issued by the BBC under the general title The Making of\a Play. The object of the series is to stimulate interest. in the drama and to give some insight into the work involved in the

production of a play for the stage. Although they are designed primarily for listeners. .who are not regular theatregoers, the talks are also intended to be .of practical help to amateur companies and to play-reading groups. They explain the contributions of author, pro-

ducer, stage staff, and cast to the actual performance which the audience sees. The first and last talks are given by Alan Dent, the well-known’ London dramatic critic, and the other four programmes take the form of discussions between him and experts in various branches of stage work. There are upwards of 20,000 actiye amateurs in New Zealand, and the New Zealand Drama Council has already advised members in their monthly newsletter that this series is to be broadcast. The Making of a Play began this Thursday (October 13) from 4YZ, and will be heard later from the other National stations. The titles of the programmes, and the speakers, are as follows: "Introductory Talk," by Alan Dent, dramatic critic of the News Chronicle; "The Playwright," by R. C. Sherriff, author of Journey’s End; "The Producer," by Frank Shelley, producer at the Oxford Playhouse; "Lighting, Design, and Decor," by Frank Shelley and a lighting technician; "The Actor and Actress," by Leslie Banks, the stage and screen actor; and "The Critic Sums Up," by Alan Dent. The series is being heard from 4YZ at 7.15 p.m. on Thursdays. .